Joakim Noah explained how Derrick Rose put fear in his opponents: 'They wanted to be cool with him, and he wants none of that'

In the spring of 2011, the Windy City was greeted by the rise of a superstar not named Michael Jordan. Derrick Rose at his peak was untouchable, unstoppable, and utterly fearless.

At just 22 years old, Rose became the youngest MVP in league history, leading the Chicago Bulls to the best record in the NBA. But his dominance wasn't limited to numbers or accolades.

A competitive mentality

During the 2010-2011 season, the Bulls weren't just good—they were great. With a league-best 62 wins, they clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference and were poised for a deep playoff run.

D-Rose was at the center of it all, embracing a mentality reminiscent of another Bulls legend. Like MJ, No. 1 refused to play the NBA's friendship game. To him, it was all about competition.

Joakim Noah, Rose's teammate and one of his biggest supporters, later revealed how other NBA superstars reacted to the young MVP.

"I saw a lot of the top guys show fear around him because they wanted to be friends with him, they wanted to be cool with him, and he wants none of that," Noah said. "He was like, 'This is my color; I'm not trying to be friends with any of you guys; these are my teammates, and that's it."

Although the Bulls didn't get to celebrate a first title since the MJ era, they had something to celebrate when the Memphis product hoisted the MVP in front of a packed United Center ahead of an Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks.

The legacy that wasn't

Three days after being crowned MVP, Rose showcased exactly why he earned the award. In Game 3 of the conference semifinals, he dropped a playoff career-high 44 points, torching the Hawks from every corner of the court. Pull-up jumpers, fearless drives, deep threes—Atlanta had no answers for him that night.

As the Bulls cruised to victory, fans in Atlanta couldn't help but join in chanting "MVP" when the electric point guard exited the game with just over three minutes remaining.

He left with a 16-of-27 shooting, 4-of-7 from deep, and nearly perfect from the free-throw line. He added seven assists and five rebounds to cap off a dominant performance that put the Bulls ahead in the series.

Rose's MVP season turned out to be the peak of his career in terms of health. In the years that followed, devastating injuries derailed his ascent. Torn ACLs, meniscus tears, and a host of other setbacks kept him from ever playing more than 70 games in a season again. For many fans, he became one of the biggest "what if" stories in NBA history.

On September 26, 2024, the former MVP announced his retirement after a 16-year career. Though injuries robbed him of his prime, his legacy remains intact.